Dreams
by Nightjar
Summary: [For prompt 1 at the tammydrabbles LJ community] 'Something was terribly, undeniably wrong.' [Kalasin centric, some violence]


Miss Moony would like to say that she doesn't own Tortall and that she had no help with this story from Miss Wormtail, Miss Padfoot or Miss Prongs.

Standalone, for the "The Beginning" challenge at tammydrabbles.

Gah. I have no idea where this came from. Warnings for some vaguely-described violence, I guess.

------- I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good -------

**Dreams**

All she could tell was that something was wrong. There was something in the queen's stiff, faltering manner that told Kally that something horrible had happened.

'But he _promised!_' Roald whined from across the nursery, clinging to their mother's arm.

She said, 'He says he's sorry, love. Something came up.'

Roald pouted. 'Something _always_ comes up.'

Queen Thayet's smile was strained as she tugged on Roald's hand and moved to pick up Kally. Kally stared, and blinked. Something was terribly, undeniably wrong.

-------

Their father, when they saw him, was in the infirmary, looking remarkably like a ghost. Duke Baird hovered over him, clucking anxiously, with dark circles under both eyes.

Seated in the hallway outside the infirmary was Alanna, still dressed in full armour, and raving furiously at the Knight Commander of the King's Own.

'Stupid, stupid!' she said, cursing between every word. 'It was just so _stupid!_'

'Calm down, Alanna. Go home. You're not helping him by standing around here and cursing yourself.'

'What happened?' Roald demanded, eying them both suspiciously. 'Is Papa going to be okay?'

Raoul spun around, and took in the sight of the two toddlers standing before him, clasping hands. 'Jon's going to be fine,' he said. 'He just needs a few days rest before he'll be back to normal.' To the Lioness he said, 'Go home to George and your son, Alanna. Jon will still be here when you get back.'

-------

It had been an incredibly stupid mistake on Alanna's part: there had only been one weak spot in the enemy's defences, and – they were only hired thugs goddammit – she hadn't spotted the archer, crouched in the trees. She had left her king vulnerable for a few precious seconds while she checked to make sure that the man in front of her was really dead, and the next thing she knew was that there was blood _everywhere_; drenching Jon's tunic and pouring from a wound in his side.

She had stood, pale with shock, and _stared_, and in the end it had been one of Raoul's men who'd managed to pounce on the assassin, killing him with one carefully-placed stab.

'Stupid,' she muttered to herself, her eyes puffy; Roald across the hall from her, scowling; Kally curled up against her side.

-------

When Duke Baird finally deemed the king healthy enough to leave the infirmary, he stepped through the door to be greeted by the sight of Kally and Roald fast asleep in the corridor, huddled close to Alanna, who was absolutely filthy in the same tunic she'd been wearing five days ago, at the attack – though thankfully she had removed the armour.

'Jon,' Alanna croaked out, and then cleared her throat and tried again. 'I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have been _able_ to happen.'

The king regarded his champion silently. She hung her head, and stared at a spot of moisture on her knee, where Roald had been drooling in his sleep. 'Alanna,' he said finally, sighing. 'Go home and get some sleep. It wasn't your fault.'

Alanna's expression was one of relief when she looked up. She took a deep breath. 'I promised to show Thom how to make fire,' she said – it was her way of saying, "You're right, and I can be an idiot sometimes."

She turned her gaze downwards, and met Kally's blue, unblinking eyes.

-------

Queen Thayet sat on the floor of the nursery, and brushed Roald's fringe away from his face. Kally shifted until she was facing the ceiling, sprawled over her mother's lap.

She reached upwards, and the tips of her fingers only just managed to brush the queen's lower lip. Thayet looked down.

'I'm going to be a lady knight when I grow up, Mama,' Kally said through a yawn. 'And then I'll look after Papa like Lady Alanna.'

The skin around her eyes crinkled as Thayet smiled. 'Goodnight, Kalasin,' she said, and kissed her daughter on the forehead.


End file.
